Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 6 May 2021
84. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a commitment will be given to stop the policy of automatically cancelling first-time passport applications from children after six months (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23314/21]
View answerApplications are only valid for six months primarily due to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) regulations on the requirement for a recent photograph. The ICAO is a UN specialised agency which defines in detail the required format for a passport.
Where additional documentation has been requested and has not been received within this timeframe, these applications are cancelled. This timeframe also ensures that a refund of the fees can be processed electronically where required. If the refund is not made electronically within six months then it can take up to 12 months to process a refund by bank transfer. While I appreciate it is disappointing for applicants, I would encourage them to apply for their passport again.
The Passport Service is well advanced in its preparations for scaling up to more normal operational levels, while complying with the phased easing of restrictions set out in “COVID-19 Resilience and Recovery 2021 – The Plan Ahead”.
The Passport Service is confident, taking into account measures to ensure a safe workplace, that any Passport Online backlog can be cleared in six to eight weeks.
In the event that any applicant has urgent or emergency reasons for requiring a passport, they should contact the Passport Service’s Customer Service Hub using the WebChat function on our website to make the Passport Service aware of their situation.
